Air pumping centrifugal pump



July 19, 1932.

A. w. BURKS AIR PUMPING CENTRIFUGAL PUMP Filed Feb. 7, 1950 Patented July 19, 1932 PATENT oFFlcE ARTHUR W. BURKS, F DECATUR, ILLINOIS .AIR PUMPING CENTRIFUGAL PUMP Application led February 7, 1930. .Serial No. 426,639.

The present invention relates to rotary pumps of the centrifugal type, and it has as an object the provision of a centrifugal pump which is adapted to pump and compress both gas and liquid.

A further object of the invention is to provide a centrifugal pump having an improved impeller construction particularly suited for pumping both gas and liquid, and which is adapted to cooperate with an air separator disposed adjacent the rotor or impeller.

Another object of the invention is to provide an air pumping centrifugal pump which is self-priming, and is adapted to evacuate its supply line as well as to eliminate any air from the pump chamber which may tend to fill the same and reduce the pump delivery during the course of its'operation upon liquid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a pump of simple construction having a minimum number of parts, and which may be operated ,for extended periods without repair, replacement or adjustment of parts.

The foregoing and other objects of the invention will become clearer as the description proceeds in connection with a preferred embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein Figure 1 is an elevational view partly broken away.

Figure 2 is a vertical view on substantially the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a plan view partly in section.

Referring to the drawing for a more detailed description, the pump casing comprises sections 10, 11 secured together adjacent their margins, as by bolts 12. lThe section 11 has a central hollow boss 13 threaded to receive a supply connection 14, the boss serving as an inlet todirect the fluid into substantially the center of a rotor or impeller 15 fixed to shaft 16 which has a bearing in the casing section 10.

VThe impeller 15 has one lateral wall or r shroud 17 which extends from the axis of the pump to its periphery 17. The wall carries a plurality of peripherally directed webs 18, in the present instance radially disposed (Fig.` 2), the webs forming therebetween peripheral'ly directed passages which have 50 outlets at the periphery of the pump.

Adjacent the margin of the rotor and at their outlets, the passages have positioned therein a plurality of blades 23, which form between one another and with the webs 18, 5.', buckets 24 opening laterally, but closed substantially throughout the entire path of travel by the wall 11 of the casing section 11.

The same side ofthe rotor has a wall or en shroud 25 which terminates inwardly from the peripheryof the rotor, so as to provide the open sided buckets. This shroud, if desired, may be provided with a plurality of ribs and grooves 26 coacting with complec5 mentalribs and grooves 27 upon the casing section 1l.

The rotor buckets and radial passages discharge into a raceway which in the present instance is formed by the opposed facing 7o flanges 28, 28 of the casing sections. This raceway extends between the point 21 and an outlet opening 22 and is provided by directing the raceway forming flanges along a substantially spiral path. Between the points 21 and 22, it is on an arc which is eccentric to the 'rotor axis so as to provide a raceway progressively increasing in radial depth from the point 21 to the discharge 22 in a eounter' clockwise direction (Fig. 1). Between the 80 rear edge 22 of the outlet opening and the point 21, the flange follows closely the periphery of the rotor and the edge 22 is beveled so as to laterally deflect the water through the outlet 22. The opposite edge 22 is beveled -on-its side facing the rotor in order to facilitate the raceway discharge.

It will be clear, therefore,that water drawn through theinlet into the impeller passages between the outlet 22 and the point 21 where 9 the raceway begins, cannot be discharged until the impeller reaches the latter point because the flanges 28 closely follow the periphery of the rotor between the points 22 5 and the point 21 in a counter-clockwise direction, and for the further reason that the wall 11 of the casing section closely fits against the face of the rotor and the open side of the buckets 24.

A chamber 31 is disposed adjacent the raceway, and has an opening 33 in its wall past which the buckets move as the rotor is operated. The chamber has a discharge opening 31 in its top 30', the opening being 15 threaded to receive a discharge connection 32.

When liquid is maintained in the chamber,

the buckets tend to set up an air separating whirlpool the liquid of which engages the buckets and displaces air carried thereby into the whirlpool. This air is separated from the body of liquid by centrifugal force and discharged through the opening 31.

The chamber is also in communication with the raceway 20; in the present instance, this is accomplished by disposing the raceway outlet opening 22 at the chamber, and so that liquid discharged into the chamber from the raceway will enter the chamber tangentially and thereby assist the buckets in maintaining a whirlpool. i

Water passing through the outlet 22 is discharged tangentially into the chamber, asindicated by the arrow 30. In order that the whirlpool may be set up without the formation of eddy currents at the outlet, the beveled surface adjacent the edge 22 is substantally a continuation of the arc of the inner surface 29 of chamber 31. It will be understood that from the rear edge 21 of the outlet opening 22 and the flange 21 of the outlet opening 22, the flange 28 continues closely against the periphery of the rotor to the point 21 in the direction indicated by the arrow 29 which also shows the direction of rotation of the impeller.

When pumping air, it is simply necessary to fill the chamber 28 suiciently to provide liquid to form a whirlpool, andas the buckets .carrying air move past the chamber, the air therein will be displaced into the whirlpool by the liquid. Any Water carried off by the buckets from the whirlpool will be discharged therefrom into the raceway 2O as soon as the buckets reach the point 21, and this liquid Will follow the raceway and be returned through the outlet 22 into the Whirlpool. As soon as the buckets discharge the liquid, they are'free to take up air drawn in through the inlet 13, and this air is removed from the buckets as soon as they again reach the whirlpool.

It will be understood that there is a constant circulation of liquid from the whirl-l pool into the buckets from which the same is discharged into the raceway to then pass Cil back to the Whirlpool. The buckets are ar-l they return to the chamber 28, they are iilled with air.

The pump may be used for pumping air and Water, or a mixture of the two. If during the liquid pumping operation, the pump chamber tends to .lill 'with air, thus reducing the liquid delivery, the air pumping operation described will immediately take place or at least as soon as the water in the pump falls so low that it will not lill the buckets.

For the purpose oi maintaining the liquid seal between the wall orshroud 25 and the casing 16, there may be provided, if desired, the lateral adjusting means for the rotor disclosed in my Patent 1,686,549, granted October 9, 1929.

Moreover, the blades may be of the same form shown in that patent, or may take other forms. They may extend along the exactly radial lines shown (Fig. 2) or may be disposed in planes which are substantially cords of the rotor circumference.

In a lateral direction, they may be disposed at right angles to the wall 16, or may be inclined, if desired.

Although I refer to the pumped fluid as air and water, it will be understood that these terms are used merely for purposes of example. and to lcover respectively any gas or liquid to be pumped.

Obviously, numerous modifications may be made in the structure illustrated and described without departing from the invention, the essential features of which are defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A pump comprising a rotor having a laterally opening inlet and peripherally directed passages leading therefrom, said passages being laterally closed by a rotor wall on one side of the rotor only part way to the periphery and having at their outlets a plurality of buckets opening both toward said Side and toward the periphery, and a casing having a Wall closing the buckets and passages at their open sides substantially entirely around the rotor and toi-ming around the rotor periphery a raceway into which .said passages ceutritugally discharge, said raceway having an outlet, a chamber adapted to maintain an air separating whirlpool and having an opening in its` wall through which said buckets communicate. with the chamber at said open side of the rotor, said chamber being adapted to maintain an air-separating whirlpool which engages said buckets and displaces air therefrom into thel whirlpool, the chamber being in-communication with "said raceway outlet and being adapted to receive the raceway discharge therethrough. 2. A pump comprising a rotor having a laterally opening inlet and peripherally directed passages leading therefrom, said passages being laterally closed on one side of the rotor only part way to the periphery and having at their outlets a plurality of buckets opening both toward said side and toward raceway into which said passages centrifugally discharge, said raceWay having an Koutlet, a chamber adapted to maintain an air separating Whirlpool and having an opening in its Wall through which said buckets com-v municate with the chamber at said open side of the rotor, said chamber'being adapted to maintain an air-separating Whirlpool which engages said buckets and displaces air therefrom into the Whirlpool, the chamber being in communication With said raceWay outlet radially outside the rotor periphery and being adapted to receive tangentially the race- Way discharge through said outlet.

3. A pump comprising a rotor having a laterally opening inlet and peripherally discharging passages leading therefrom, said passages being laterally closed on one side of the rotor only part way to the periphery, whereby to provide a lateral passage outlet, and having at their outlets a plurality of buckets opening both toward said side and toward the periphery, the other side of each passage being closed substantially from the rotor aXis to the rotor periphery, and a casing having a Wall closing the buckets and passages at their open sides substantially entirely around the rotor and forming around the rotor periphery a-raceway into which said passages peripherically discharge, said raceway having an outlet, a chamber adapted to maintain an air separating Whirlpool l and having an opening in its Wall through which said buckets communicate with the chamber at said open sides of the passages, said`chamber being adapted t0 maintain an air-separating Whirlpool which engages said buckets and displaces air therefrom into the Whirlpool, the chamber being in communication with said raceway radiallyY beyond the ends of thepbuckets outlet and being adapted to receive the raceway discharge through said outlet. f

4. A pum comprisino a roto@` having peripherally directed an opening assages, said passages being laterally close on. one side of the rotor only part Way to the pc1iphery and having at their discharn'e ortions a plurality of buckets opening bot 1 toward said side land toward theperiphery, and a casing forming around the rotor peripherya,racewayinto which said passages peripherally discharge, said raceway having au outlet, a chamber adapted to maintain an nir separating Whirlpool and having an opening 'l in its wall through which said buckets communicate with the chamber at said open sides of the passages, said chamber being adapted to maintain an air-separating Whirlpool which engages said buckets and displaces air therefrom into the Whirlpool, the chamber being in -communication, with said raceway outlet radially beyond the periphery of the rotor and being adapted to receive the race@ Way discharge through said outlet.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand. v

ARTHUR W. BURKS. 

